Junk DNA: A Journey Through the Dark Matter of the Genome by Nessa Carey

Junk DNA: A Journey Through the Dark Matter of the Genome is written by Nessa Carey. It is a general-readership science book on the emerging understanding of DNA regions once dismissed as “junk”.

Key details

• Author: Nessa Carey
• Explores DNA that does not code for proteins
• Discusses research into the functions and effects of these regions
• References applications including DNA fingerprinting and a cure for blindness
• Connects the topic to areas such as genetic disease, viral infection and ageing

Synopsis

For decades, around 98 per cent of human DNA was labelled “junk” because it does not code for proteins. This book examines how the effects and essential roles of these regions are only now coming into view, across topics ranging from rare genetic diseases and Down’s syndrome to viral infections and the ageing process.

It also reflects on a fast-developing and sometimes controversial area of science that has already led to practical outcomes, including a successful cure for blindness and the use of DNA fingerprinting to help save innocent people from death row. Drawing on the author of The Epigenetics Revolution, it introduces a subject presented as central to understanding human complexity and even the origins of life on Earth.